LONGLEY: World Series balls juiced? Who cares

Other than all those pitchers with the fastest fastballs, the slipperiest sliders and the cagiest curves, who cares if the baseballs are juiced?

If a little extra sizzle between the seams is going to provide the sensational theatre Games 1 and 2 of the World Series has, cook ’em some more.

The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers set a single-game Series record in Wednesday’s extra-innings thriller with eight leaving a park that was once unanimously seen as pitcher friendly.

That an unprecedented five of them came in extra innings only added to the never before seen zaniness of the Astros 7-6 win in 11.

And even pitchers on the winning team can’t stop moaning, though they wouldn’t have much company among the 54,293 who witnessed the Southern California thrill ride of Game 2.

“I think the balls are juiced, 100%,” Astros Game 1 starter Dallas Keuchel said in the Astros clubhouse after his team evened the best-of-seven series at a win apiece. “Major League Baseball wants to put on a show. We crushed the home-run record this year.

“That’s what (MLB) wants. They want that exciting two home-run lead and then (the other team) comes back and hits another home run and everyone’s still watching.”

What’s that new line? Went to a World Series game and a home run derby broke out?

Yes, the two teams are certainly putting on a show in a series that has touched down in the Space City for Games 3-5 starting Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

And yes, Keuchel’s comments read both like a play-by-play of Game 2 and a lament of pitchers across the league this year. The single-season league record was smashed well before the 2017 calendar was complete, with a total of 6,105 when the swatting finally stopped.

Homers have been prominent throughout the playoffs as well and already in the World Series there have been 11.

Justin Verlander, who started Game 2 for the Astros says the sizzling late October heat in Southern California played a part. In both Games 1 and 2, first pitch temperatures were near 40C and never dipped below 32C before game’s end.

“Yeah, I think the heat affected the home runs,” said Verlander, who allowed just two hits through six innings, both homers naturally. “I think Dodger Stadium is pretty famous for the ball not carrying. Doesn’t seem like the case the last couple of nights.”

Justin Turner’s two-run game-winning homer on Tuesday didn’t clear the outfield wall by much. And when it left the bat of the Dodgers third baseman, he thought it was a harmless out.

“I didn’t know if it was going to be a home run or not,” Turner said. “I knew I hit it really high and I knew it was about 98 degrees and when it’s hot here the ball does travel a lot better. If it’s 10 degrees cooler that’s probably a routine fly ball in left field.”

For the record, MLB has denied the balls are “juiced” despite clubhouse after clubhouse full of pitchers griping about them.

But to the rest of the world, it seems, the phenomenon is getting rave reviews. Player after player from both teams in Game 2 enthused about it being the wildest, most exciting game they’d played in their careers.

It started with the Astros Marwin Gonzalez hitting a solo in the ninth to force extra innings. And then it got truly silly.

To think, that the Astros were three outs away from losing a game despite allowing just two hits all night, which would have been a first in World Series play.

Solo shots from Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa kept it going in the 10th only to be negated by a Yasiel Puig homer to start the Dodgers rally to tie it in the bottom half.

Then came George Springer’s two-run shot in the top of the 11th that just barely stood up as the game winner allowed the Astros to become the first team in MLB history to hit three extra-inning homers in a post-season game.

How crazy is that? In the 113 years they’ve been playing World Series games there had only been 17 homers in extras prior to Wednesday’s explosion. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the ball and maybe it’s aggressive hitters determined to change the game with one swing of the bat.

“Everybody’s swinging for the fences,” Astros closer Ken Giles, who blew the save opportunity in the 10th by allowing two runs, told the New York Times. “Home runs this series have been the big play so far. We need to figure out a way to prevent it.”

So far, in a classic start to the Fall Classic, Giles and his pitching brethren have been powerful to do so.

rlongley@postmedia.com

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS

Just like the late-inning pitchers, the World Series record book took a beating on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Homers flew and records fell in the Astros 7-6 extra-innings win to even the series at a win each.

Here’s a look at some of the damage:

— Solo homers by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa in the 10th were the first back-to-back homers in extra innings of a World Series game.

— The eight homers were the most hit in a WS game and were spread out between eight different players. For each, it was the first World Series homer of their career.

— The Astros became the first team in major league history to hit three extra-inning homers in a World Series game.

— Altuve now has six homers this post-season, tied for eighth most in one playoff year. The record his eight.

— There have been 22 home runs hit in extra innings during the 113 World Series. Five came on Wednesday.